While the Senate debates a 1,000+ page amnesty bill, the House of Representatives is gearing up for a potential vote that would create a smaller—but still consequential—amnesty of its own.
An amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act sponsored by Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) would make illegal aliens eligible to enlist in the military. The only conditions are that the illegal alien: 1) entered the U.S. before 2012; and 2) were younger than 15 when they entered the country. Once the alien enlists, the Secretary of Homeland Security is required to adjust his or her status to that of a lawful permanent resident (or green card holder). The green card will be rescinded only if the alien is separated from the military under “other than honorable conditions.” Presumably these illegal aliens will be able to obtain citizenship after the standard five-year naturalization waiting period for green card holders.
Rep. Denham, one of four GOP Members of the House to vote against Steve King’s successful amendment to the DHS appropriations to defund the Morton Memos and President Obama’s backdoor DREAM Act, seems to be offering the House its first big amnesty test case this legislative session. If the amendment is not ruled out of order, it is likely to be voted on June 13th or 14th.
It will be important to watch how House Leadership handles this one…